Vegas police to stop turning over low-level offenders to ICE

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police are changing their policies on turning over certain immigrants who are living in the country illegally to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Las Vegas Sun reports police lobbyist Chuck Callaway says Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo has directed the jail not to turn over those immigrants in the country illegally who are booked for minor traffic crimes and other low-level misdemeanors.

The department has an agreement with ICE where the jail screens anyone booked and allows ICE to request they be detained if they are wanted for deportation proceedings.

The change comes a day after activists held a protest and news conference outside the police department in opposition to the ICE agreement.